GMAT Myths

With an increased confusion between which exam to go for, there are certain misinterpretations that are done by students. GMAT being one of those examinations that student gets confused with; here I would like to put some light on some of the most common myths that are passed between the students.

With the increasing myths about GMAT, many invented or perpetuated by test prep companies.

Now, here are some common myths that have been officially designated as untrue:

#1 Scoring in Quant is way more important than scoring in Verbal

Well this is a puzzling statement. This entirely depends on the kind of course that one is looking for. And the scores needed in the respective sections might vary as per the University requirements.

Some schools will want a high Quant score, while others will focus more about whether you hit a particular overall number. In some situations, Quant might be very important.

But when it comes to achieving a high overall GMAT score, Verbal is slightly more crucial than Quant. Getting a 90th percentile Verbal score and a 50th percentile Quant score, for example, will give you a slightly higher overall score than if they were swapped.

If you just want to earn a particular overall score, you might get there faster by focusing on Verbal.

#2 The Quant section is going to a real tough

Well this is a complete false statement. GMAT quant section is deceptively easy.

The GMAT basically presumes that you have a solid foundational base of the basic concepts taught in schools and it rightly challenges you to a mental test, which requires a blend critical thinking and a strategic approach.

In other words, you’re not being tested on difficulty and analytical skills rather beyond mere application.

#3 GMAT is a purely intelligence test

Have you ever thought of the correlation between the GMAT and IQ?

The answer to this is a YES! There lies a correlation but is not the same thing as causation.

There are so many factors that come into the picture in the GMAT that it could not possibly be a true assessment of human intelligence for an MBA student.

The test certainly requires critical and analytical reasoning skills that make it quite a challenge, but it is not a final measure of your intellectual ability. The standard for GMAT quantitative and verbal skills is high, and one will surely require a lot of time to prepare, but one should not be confusing it with a low IQ level.

Numerous studies have shown that scores can and do improve significantly with an effective study plan and competent instruction. In other words, GMAT score is never predetermined. With the right test resources and hardwork, one can be confident that he/she will eventually reach a satisfactory score.

#4 The first 8-10 questions have more weightage as compared to others, and you should invest more time in solving these questions

This misconception came from misinterpreting the large initial variation in one’s score estimate when one has answered only a few questions to mean that they play a larger role in determining your score. Well the truth is these fluctuations get averaged out by the later questions.

Even though the algorithm finds your true ability pretty quickly (by around question 20), it still evaluates your entire question profile. Additionally, the score is not based on the highest difficulty level one solves. Instead, it is purely based on the difficulty level at the end of the test.

A strong start will surely be a good way to go, but spending extra time on the early problems means having very little time to answer hard problems later on. One might even run out of time at the end, which carries a hefty score penalty. So, if one can answer all of the early questions correctly and quickly, go for it. Otherwise, one should work at a steady pace throughout the test, and proactively guess on hard questions that one cannot answer quickly – even at the beginning of each section.

#5 One only has to study the most difficult category of questions

Even if you are so skilled to get all these difficult questions correct, investing a lot of time on these will eventually affect the final score. Just for the sake of answering the difficult ones, missing out the the easy part of questions will surely be damaging for getting a good score.

Finding out the area in which one lacks and working on the same will bring you the efficiency. Practicing these questions will surely be helpful in scoring more.

#6 30 days are more than enough for successfully cracking this exam

The GMAT is a fully a skills test, and everyone knows that skill development takes time.

Hence a period of a month will surely not be sufficient to get prepared and ready for the test. An average student who scores about 700 or above would often require three to four months of dedicated practice. One may find it hectic to plan that far ahead, but the GMAT is too important to your business school application to give anything less than full effort.

Nothing is impossible. With right hardwork put in right direction and a good amount of dedication, you are bound to get a good score!